IT's agent: 'The situation wasn't beneficial for either party'

Isaiah Thomas is on the Los Angeles Lakers, his third team in less than two seasons. He worked hard to rehab his way back to the court after a devastating hip injury kept him out for the first 36 games this season.

But things ultimately didn’t work out for the Cavs. Thomas was a key contributor one of the league’s worst defenses since his return while his offensive game struggled to round into form. He shot an inefficient 36.1 percent from the floor and just 25.3-percent from 3-point range – struggling to become the secondary scorer beside LeBron James.

“He’s worked too hard to get back, and he’s a ball dominant player,” said Thomas’ agent, Aaron Goodwin to Cleveland.com. “It’s LeBron’s ball, and this clearly wasn’t working. Koby (Altman) and I have had enough conversations where it was clear, with the way the system was going, it wasn’t beneficial for either party. This is a good opportunity for Isaiah.”

Thomas’ joins the Lakers on an expiring contract worth roughly $6.3 million this season. His future in Los Angeles remains up in the air while the team seems poised to make a run at prominent free agents in the summer, which could include James. The Lakers could clear up to $69 million in cap room – enough for two max salary slots with James and Thunder swingman Paul George long rumored to test the open market.

With Lonzo Ball still on the mend, a few months in L.A. could help Thomas boost his free agent value and earn a bigger deal in the upcoming summer.

But he won’t be happy if he has to come off the bench, which he will likely have to do when Ball is back.

Rachel Nichols said IT's agent just said in a text in all caps that he's not coming off the bench